The Colne Valley Railway has released tickets for its final event of this year – a high-speed train (HST) day.

On Sunday, 28 December, starting at 10.30 am, the heritage railway will repeat its previous successful HST events, featuring 43082, its Class 43 loco that was built in 1978.

Fellow Class 43 loco, no. 43023 will be at the other end of the train, in British Rail grey/blue livery.

The two power cars will operate unlimited rides along the Railway’s one-mile route throughout the day.

The Railway boasts that onboard accommodation includes an air-conditioned, open first-class area, with tables and leather seats.

Tickets for the event are priced at £13 per adult, with lower rates for senior citizens and children and discounts for families. Under-3s and carers may attend without charge. Dogs are welcome, for a charge of £3 each.

The event will also offer enthusiasts the opportunity to ride in the cab of 43082. Tickets for the cab ride are in addition to the event ticket and cost £10 each. They will be sold on a first-come, first-served basis, and must be bought directly from the onboard buffet.

The onboard buffet will offer for sale various hot and cold food, drinks and snacks. It will also include a licensed bar.

Class 43s have been gradually withdrawn from service over recent years, with GWR running its final Class 43 loco in 2019.

Visitors to the events will also have the opportunity to visit the Railway’s model rail, signal box, museum, and the Plotlands Railway Cottage, which shows how families made temporary homes in disused railway carriages during wartime.

The Colne Valley Railway is at Castle Hedingham Station, near Halstead in Essex. As well as its one-mile (1.6 km) running line, it includes a fully reconstructed station, signal box and railway yard. The line is on a stretch of the former Colne Valley and Halstead Railway (CVHR), which opened in the 1860s.

The line closed at the start of 1962, and by 1965, all passenger and freight traffic had ceased. The line was then dismantled, and its infrastructure was demolished or recovered.

Tickets for the event are available here.

The Railway is also running a Colne Valley Christmas event on Tuesday 23 December and evening ‘Twilight’ events on the three December Saturdays running up to Christmas.